SCC has entered the “problem solving” phase of its budget review process as the college plans to recommend a total of $2.4 million in cuts to the Board of Trustees (BOT) at their March 18 meeting.

The college administration will undergo a “realignment process,” Philip King, SCC’s vice president for student learning, said at a Feb. 26 BOT meeting. Several divisions in the college will be expanded in scope, in order to merge departments and minimize redundancies. It was not immediately clear what would happen to the other deans with the new structure.

Under this proposal, the communications, business and physical education departments would be moved to different divisions. Communications would be moved from the Humanities division to Social Sciences; Business to the Health Occupations and Physical Education (HO/PE) division and Physical Education from HO/PE to Health Occupations.

The HO/PE dean position would be eliminated under this plan. The proposal also includes the elimination of an administrative position in the Student Learning office.

In an email to members of the affected departments, Bayta Maring, an administrator in the Student Learning office, told faculty that the realignment is still in discussion and may be subject to change.

Through the realignment, the college expects to save just over $100,000, according to numbers from the email.

The realignment process is a part of SCC’s efforts to reconcile a $2.4 million revenue gap. The college has previously announced personnel cuts amounting to 9.25 full-time equivalent positions, for a total of $1.1 million in savings.

Those cuts break down to 4.5 fewer full-time equivalents in administrative positions and 4.75 fewer full-time equivalents in classified staff.

Administration says the revenue deficit is a result of a continued decline in enrollment at SCC, while faculty point to an expanding administrative staff.

Brad Fader, accounting professor and former SCC Federation of Teachers union treasurer, drafted an analysis of the college’s finances to refute administration’s position on enrollment decline.

According to his numbers, college revenue went up by 10% in the past 10 years, while expenses increased by 25%. Administrative payrolls increased by 76% in the same period.

Proposals to reduce the college’s expenses and balance the budget are scheduled to be read and voted on in a March 18 BOT meeting.